1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an electronic system for controlling the turning on and off of the headlights in conjunction with the operation of the windshield wipers, headlight and ignition switches.
2. History of the Related Art
The turning on of the headlights of a vehicle during poor visibility conditions is recognized as a safety measure. In some states, the law requires that when the windshield wipers are turned on as during rain conditions, the headlights must also be turned on. Systems for automatically turning on the headlights when the windshield wipers are turned on have been known in the prior art. For example, in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,363 to Carter, et al. 4,656,363, a transistor circuit is employed to turn the vehicle headlights on and off when the windshield wipers are turned on and off. Similarly, the U.S. Pat. No. 4,236,099 to Rosenblum 4,236,099 discloses a transistor circuit for accomplishing the same purpose. In each case, the operation of the circuit is dependent upon the proper operation of a power transistor.
Earlier U.S. Pat. Nos. which disclose similar or related systems are Price U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,119, Schultz U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,120, Nolin, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,519,837, Vanderpoel, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,845, Aloysantoni U.S. Pat. No. 3,600,596, Glaze U.S. Pat. No. 3,824,405, Binegar U.S. Pat. No. 4,057,742, and Lesiac U.S. Pat. No. 4,097,839.